From the kidnapping of Nigerian schoolgirls to the influx of children at the southern U.S. border, 2014 has been a year of tragic tales of children in the news. Editorial cartoonist Pat Bagley depicts the border children as having nowhere to go, while Joe Heller suggests the news makes parents want to hug their own children.

Wednesday’s botched execution in Arizona — during which inmate Joseph Wood gasped and choked and finally died after two hours — has drawn sharp criticism, including from Arizona’s U.S. Sen. John McCain, who called it “torture.” Editorial cartoonist Joe Heller thinks capital punishment is becoming “crude and unreliable,” and Mike Keefe wonders if drone strikes might be a more quick and effective method.

With President Obama in California this week raising money for Democratic candidates ahead of November’s midterm elections, critics say he’s ignoring critical issues such as turmoil in the Mideast and Ukraine. Editorial cartoonist Chip Bok wonders if the White House has been declared in recess, while Rick McKee portrays Obama as ignoring even his fundraising to play golf.

U.S. Secretary of State is in Jerusalem this week, seeking a cease-fire to stop the deadly fighting between Israel and Hamas. Editorial cartoonist Mike Luckovich suggests there’s a “two-state solution” currently in place, while Nate Beeler depicts the discovery of another tunnel being used by the Palestinians.

Two federal appeals courts handed down conflicting rulings regarding subsidies under the Affordable Care Act on Tuesday, just the latest turns in the legal road for President Obama’s signature health care law. Editorial cartoonist Nate Beeler calls Obamacare’s journey to becoming “the law of the land” a maze, while Joe Heller suggests the ruling that went against Obamacare was another feeble attempt by Republicans to take it down.

After last Friday’s downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine, which killed 298 people, signs point toward Russian separatists as being the culprits. And fingers are being pointed at Russia and President Vladimir Putin for providing the weaponry involved in the attack. Editorial cartoonist Pat Bagley indirectly blames Putin, while Chip Bok says that indeed “The bear is loose,” using a phrase from President Obama.

For more cartoons on Putin and Flight 17, check out the slideshow below.

Earlier this month, a government scientist discovered six vials of smallpox at a research center near Washington, D.C. The vials were sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Also this month, an investigation found that the CDC had previously stored deadly anthrax in unlocked refrigerators and transported dangerous materials in Ziploc bags. Editorial cartoonist Joe Heller wonders how secure the vials of smallpox are now, while Mike Luckovich questions the CDC’s filing system.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told reporters that “The border is secure” on Tuesday, despite the influx of immigrant children coming from Central America. Editorial cartoonist Rick McKee says Reid’s claim is trampled by the number of people crossing the border, while Chip Bok places Reid in the context of 1812.

For more cartoons on immigration and the U.S.-Mexico border, check out the slideshow below.

In the latest round of tension and violence in the Mideast, Israel and Hamas continue to launch rockets into each other’s territories, following the recent abduction and killing of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank and a 16-year-old Palestinian in East Jerusalem. Editorial cartoonist Nate Beeler says there’s one thing the two sides agree on, while Joe Heller uses a popular American song to illustrate the situation.

In an online op-ed column last week, Sarah Palin wrote that President Obama should be impeached. Editorial cartoonist Nate Beeler thinks Palin is a distraction to sober-minded Republicans who oppose Obama, while John Cole thinks the former vice presidential candidate is well past her expiration date.

Vincent Carroll is The Denver Post's editorial page editor. He has been writing commentary on politics and public policy in Colorado since 1982 and was originally with the Rocky Mountain News, where he was also editor of the editorial pages until that newspaper gave up the ghost in 2009.

Guidelines: The Post welcomes letters up to 150 words on topics of general interest. Letters must include full name, home address, day and evening phone numbers, and may be edited for length, grammar and accuracy.

To reach the Denver Post editorial page by phone: 303-954-1331

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